McDonald's announced its ambition that by the end of 2025, every toy, in every Happy Meal sold around the world, will be more sustainable. "As ever, the smiles, fun and safety associated with Happy Meal toys over the past 40 years remain. This transition to more renewable, recycled or certified materials for toys is already underway and will result in an approximately 90% reduction in virgin fossil fuel based plastic use against a 2018 baseline – nearly equivalent to the population of Washington, DC, eliminating plastics from their lives for a year. Since 2018, Happy Meal toy innovations already underway in markets around the world such as the UK, Ireland and France have already resulted in a 30% reduction in virgin fossil fuel based plastic use," states the McDonald's website.

THE FIRST GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY MILESTONE FOR THE BELOVED TOYS

"Our next generation of customers care deeply about protecting the planet and what we can do to help make our business more sustainable. We're always exploring where we can drive greater impact, including the transformation of beloved icons like the Happy Meal," said Jenny McColloch, McDonald's Chief Sustainability Officer. "With this transition for our toys, we're working closely with suppliers, families, and play experts and engineers to introduce more sustainable, innovative designs and help drive demand for recycled materials, to keep McDonald's communities and beyond smiling for generations to come." Since launching in 1979, the Happy Meal has undergone unique menu, ingredient and play innovations. McDonald's announcement is the first global environmental sustainability milestone for our beloved toys.

THE NEW THINKING FOR MAGICAL MOMENTS

"Creating magical moments for kids in a way that helps protect the planet for their future has inspired some incredible new thinking, like the incredibly popular Space Jam: A New Legacy Happy Meal Happy Meal in the UK," said Louise Soper, SVP Global Brand Partnerships at Warner Bros. Pictures. "We applaud McDonald's push for more sustainable toys around the globe and we're actively imagining what the next batch of your family's favorite characters will look like in a way that's just as fun and even better for the environment."

THE RE-IMAGINED TOYS WILL REDUCE THE DEMAND ON FOSSIL FUEL PLASTIC PRODUCTION

New Happy Meal toys will continue to enable interactive play with games the whole family can enjoy, customizable crafts to unleash imagination, and build-your-own construction to instill a sense of pride in playtime. The global transition is already underway in countries including the UK and Ireland, and complete in France, where Happy Meal toys made from innovative materials are already elements of the experience. "Sustainable material sourcing is a necessary strategy for mitigating the impact of supply chains on our ecosystems and climate, including the plastic waste crisis," said Sheila Bonini, Senior Vice President, Private Sector Engagement at World Wildlife Fund. "By reducing conventional virgin plastic inputs by a projected 90%, the re-imagined toys will reduce the demand on fossil fuel plastic production to instead create new markets for responsibly sourced renewable and recycled content. And through its immense reach of these toys, McDonald's can engage its millions of daily customers around the world in the transition to a more sustainable, circular future."